Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

William Bailey — Rome - Large Still Life
William Bailey

Rome - Large Still Life

1977

This contemplative still life arrangement presents an assortment of classical vessels and containers arranged across a simple wooden table against a warm, muted terracotta background. The composition features ceramic pitchers, cylindrical forms, and geometric shapes rendered in soft cream and ochre tones, creating a harmonious study in form and tonality. The refined minimalist approach and restrained palette evoke the timeless quality of ancient Roman pottery and domestic objects. Light falls gently across the arrangement, emphasizing the subtle volumetric relationships and textural variations of the vessels. The work demonstrates a masterful balance between representational accuracy and abstract compositional principles.

Medium
oil on canvas
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $300,000$500,000

For Sale

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

William Bailey, Rome - Large Still Life, 1977

This contemplative still life arrangement presents an assortment of classical vessels and containers arranged across a simple wooden table against a warm, muted terracotta background. The composition features ceramic pitchers, cylindrical forms, and geometric shapes rendered in soft cream and ochre tones, creating a harmonious study in form and tonality. The refined minimalist approach and restrained palette evoke the timeless quality of ancient Roman pottery and domestic objects. Light falls gently across the arrangement, emphasizing the subtle volumetric relationships and textural variations of the vessels. The work demonstrates a masterful balance between representational accuracy and abstract compositional principles.

Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 129.5 x 194.9 cm
Year
1977
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Domestic Interior, Museum Quality, Muted Palette, Archeological References, Tonal Study, Table Arrangement, Restrained Aesthetic, Form And Light, Still Life Painting, Ceramic Objects, Contemporary Art, Minimalist Composition, Classical Vessels, Contemporary Realism, Figurative Oil

More works by William Bailey